Lamp.



Patented Sept. 9, I902.

F. A. CURTIS.

L A M P.

(Application filed. Nov. 12, 1900.)

(No Model.)

' .2 uezztal' ease/.5

UNITED STATES PATENT FRANK A. CORTIS, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO DIVIGHT T. CORTIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAlVl P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,957, dated September 9, 1902.

Application filed November 12, 1900. Serial No. 36,215. (No model.)

T (0% whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. CORTIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in street-lamps in which the base of the lamp i0 is provided with an aperture for the insertion of a torch or rod to light or extinguish the lamp.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a ready and speedy means of igniting and extinguishing the lamp; second,-

to do away with the necessity of removing the protective covering or globe or a portion thereof in order to light and extinguish the lamp; third, to provide as a means of admis- 2o sion for an igniter or an extinguisher an opening that can be readily closed and one that if left open would not result to the disadvantage of the lamp or the light from the same; fourth, to provide a cover for the opening and means for closing the cover. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the street-lamp, showing the base in position, the trap covering the aperture for the admission of the torch, the flange fastened to the trap, and the closing-pin. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the base of thelamp, showing the trap closed.

Fig. 3 is a detail View, on enlarged scale, in

vertical section, of the base of the lamp, showing the trap closed and in dotted lines the position that the trap or cover takes after being opened to admit the lighter or extin- 4o guisher. Fig. 4 is a detail view, on enlarged scale, showing a modified form of my improvement.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes a lantern or street-lamp supported 5 on the top of a post I).

The letter a denotes the base of the lantern, which is supplied with a collar d, that fits on the top of the lamp-post and serves as a means for holding the lantern in place, this base also supporting the globe or protective covering for the lamp. It is desirable that in alamp of this kind provision should be made for lighting the lamp without requiring the removal of the globe or covering or of a portion thereof. This means is attained by the forming of an aperture e in the base, thus allowing for the admission of a torch or rod for the purpose of lighting the lamp and of accomplishing such other purposes as may be required in a lamp of this distinct variety.

In order to cover the above-mentioned aperture e when not in use, a trap is provided and preferably hinged, so as to be readily opened or closed when required. This trap fis perforated to allow for the admission of an air current or draft, such as is required in order to allow the lamp to burn freely. This trap is provided with a flange f, so arranged as to aiford means for causinga movement of the trap. In the arrangement of the parts as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings herein this flange is so arranged as to provide a stop for the trap to hold it in a practically raised position after the trap has in its opening movement passed beyond a verticalline, this construction causing the trap to remain open until closed by the application of some force. When the trap is opened, this flangef comes in contact with or overlies the upper end of a pin g, that is located in a socket in the base of the lamp and extends below it a sufficient distance to provide means for enabling it to be pushed upward. By pushing upward upon this rod or pin 9 its end comes in contact with the under surface of the flange f, and the trap f is readily closed. This may be done by the use of the torch or rod after its employment for the purpose of igniting the lamp or of putting it out.

In the arrangement of parts shown in Fig. 4 the trap h is secured to the under surface of the casing, and a spring h is employed to hold the trap in its closed position, the flange 71 in the arrangement of the parts being employed to force the trap from engagement with its retaining-spring and cause said trap to open.

It is obvious that the construction and arrangement of parts as shown and described herein may be departed from to a considerable extent and yet remain within the scope of myinvention, so long as the closing-flange or closingf-pin or their equivalents are retained in the construction.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lamp, in combination, an inclosing casing, an aperture through the bottom of the casing, a swinging trap located Within the casing and adapted to close said aperture and having a flange adapted to support the trap in its opened position, and a pin projecting through the wall of the casing and adapted to strike the flange on the trap when the latter is raised.

2. In a lamp, in combination, an inclosing casing having an aperture through the bottom and means of access to a swinging trap, the swinging trap located within the casing and adapted to close said aperture and having a flange arranged to support the trap in its open position and overlie said means of access.

3. In a lamp, in combination, an inclosing casing, an aperture through the bottom of said casing, a trap pivoted in position to close said aperture and arranged to pass a vertical line in its opening movement, and having a flange arranged to provide a stop and to also serve as a means by which the trap may be closed.

4. In a lamp, in combination, an inclosing casing, an aperture through said casing, a trap arranged within the casing to close said aperture, and means normally disengaged from the trap and projecting from the inner to the outer side of the casing and adapted to engage the trap to cause its closing movement.

5. In a lamp, in combination, an inclosing casing, an aperture through the bottom of the casing, a trap arranged within the casing to close said aperture, and a pin normally disengaged from the trap and projecting through the wall of the casing and adapted to engage the trap to cause its closing movement.

6. In a lamp, in combination, an inclosing casing, an aperture through the bottom of the casing, a trap pivoted in position to close said aperture and having a flange and a movable pin projecting through the wall of the casing and adapted to strike said flange.

FRANK A. (JORTIS. lVitnesses:

CHAS. L. BURDETT, ARTHUR B. JENKINS. 

